Very relaxed guy from London, currently running a tech startup (like everyone else). I used to be an AirBnB host in Kyoto, Japan - we had over 150 guests in a year! I'm very sensitive to the challenges of hosting and respectful of people's spaces.

Out of about 60 countries that I've visited or lived in, my favourites are Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Philippines, India, Cuba, Mexico and Brazil.

Wish Lists
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Reviews
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Reviews From Guests

This is a really great place to stay in Kyoto. The room is lovely and it's a very peaceful, pleasant neighbourhood with nature right on the doorstep - the mountains are right there & we were woken by birdsong! - but only a few steps away from a vibrant main street with lovely cafes, and easy access to the centre.
It's also walking distance from the Ginkakuji and the Philosopher's Path which were real highlights of my stay in Kyoto. I also appreciated having fast reliable wifi which was a bit of a rarity on my trip to Japan & there was a relaxed feeling in the house. Paulina was extremely good at keeping in touch and giving us all the necessary information. Bikes are also included in the price of the house, so if you fancy seeing Kyoto from 2 wheels that's an easy option.

We had a fun time reliving student days in this house in Kyoto. The bus to the city arrives every 10 minutes (although doesn't run late) and there is a subway approx 30 mins walk which was handy for accessing certain parts of the area.
Definitely student living, so be prepared for shared bathrooms and kitchen. The crew living in the house are a friendly and interesting bunch.

This location is in a really lovely part of Kyoto. It is within walking distance to the path of philosophy and Ginkaku-ji. Conveniently it is also close to the train that goes up into the mountains to Kibune/Kurama so is ideal for visits to the onsen and mountain walks in that area.
The house itself is very comfortable and spacious by Japanese standards. Paulina was really good at communicating with us prior to our stay although she wasn't there during our visit. The other housemates were friendly but unfortunately we arrived during exam time for one of them so they weren't able to spend much time with us to talk about the area and so on. This didn't really bother us because we had been in Kyoto for about a week at that stage and knew our way around and what we wanted to do.
The location is comfortable retreat away from the hustlebustle of the city itself and was a nice wind-down from a really busy holiday. There is a big shopping centre/department store nearby so it's good if you want to cook from home.

I lived near this neighborhood as a student and was delighted to find a place to stay for a reasonable price in this great location. Besides proximity to Ginkaku-ji, it's also a nice walk to Shisendo and Manshu-in. It is a Japanese style house so it has nice hot bath (ofuro) and warm bed covers but cold room in the winter.
Communication with Paulina was outstanding and the graduate students living there were very accommodating and welcoming. We found it very quiet.

Arjin and the other roommates were friendly and helpful. We felt very welcome. The place was clean and quiet. When it rained we were offered umbrellas to borrow. We never did meet Paulina, but she promptly replied to all my emails. The bed was comfortable
and the house is near "the philosopher's path" which passes numerous temples, including Ginkakuji. The neighborhood is upscale and an amazing Ramen place, Tenkaippin is nearby.
Other things to know
- It was very cold inside (late November), we could see our breath in our room. Apparently, this is typical of Japanese homes.
- The bikes available are well-worn cruisers with so-so brakes. We still had a fine time with them.

The room was very nice with tatami mats and yukatas. Definitely a good place to experience a traditional Japanese house. Our host and the other housemates were very friendly and accommodating (offered to help us with places to visit, helped carry our luggage and lent us an additional blanket for when it got chilly).

Very nice location in Kyoto. The bed was just a mattress on the floor and a bit hard, but still totally ok to sleep on for a couple of nights. We never got to meet Paulina, but got a nice welcome from another guy that was living there too.

When I stayed the host was not Paulina but Arjun - he was great to chat with, and had lots of tips for sightseeing and living in Japan. The house itself is no Ritz of course, but is an authentic, part classic part modern Japanese single-family house, now rented by an international group of graduate students, in a nice and quiet neighborhood, surrounded by a very small garden area and bordering on the woods - a rare find, I think. The fresh cold evening air and quiet outdoors made me sleep really well on the tatami mat and futon, and the kitchen and bathroom were fine and probably quite large for Japanese standards. I also walked to the Ginkakuji in about 20 minutes easily.